Megan Thee Stallion: Good News review – galloping into greatness
With easy flow, hard barbs and a magnetic persona, the rapper casts herself as the successor to hip-hop’s old-school heroes - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarJS Bach: Goldberg Variations review – softly spoken and immensely powerful
In a revelatory recording, Kolesnikov makes Bach’s variations soar as if new - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarBruckner: Symphonies Nos 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 review – glorious performances make a worthy tribute
The late conductor excelled in late Romantic repertoire, and these live recording of Bruckner symphonies see him at his best - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarA Swayze and the Ghosts: Paid Salvation review – a faultless debut
Angry, tuneful and woke – this Tasmanian punk band dazzle on all counts - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarSault: Untitled (Rise) review – mystery collective make best album of 2020, again
Just 12 weeks after their previous double album, the British group dance from sorrow to resistance, mixing fearless lyrics with house, funk and disco - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarPeter Grimes review – insightful recording is among the opera’s finest
Britten’s opera sounds huge and thrilling in a nuanced recording with sparkling interplay between singers and orchestra – it’s rarely sounded better - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarIves: Complete Symphonies review – Dudamel captures the rapture of an iconoclast
The conductor and his orchestra express the transcendental immensity of Ives, especially in a glorious Fourth Symphony - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarTayla Parx: Coping Mechanisms review – a treat of a breakup album
The songwriter steps out of Ariana Grande’s studio and into her own for this impressive, genre-crossing second solo album - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarLuke Abbott: Translate review – lush and cavernous
Creepy film music meets bucolic dance on the Norfolk producer’s cosmic third album - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarNeil Young: Archives Vol II: 1972-1976 review – guitar duels, live jams and onstage banter
This long-awaited box set captures the Canadian grappling with fame while boldly pursuing unfamiliar sounds and moods - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarContento: Lo Bueno Está Aquí review – 'salsapunks' invent a joyful hybrid
Blending salsa with electronic elements, Afrobeat and lo-fi vocals, the Colombian duo bring infectious positivity to a classic genre - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarKoechlin: Les Chants de Nectaire, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Series review – perfectly formed flute miniatures
The French composer loved the flute and these short works are exquisite, be they playful, languorous or nostalgic - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarCabaret Voltaire: Shadow of Fear review – a fittingly dystopian fantasy from Sheffield's industrial pioneers
The first Cabaret Voltaire album in more than two decades feels oddly of the moment, their grim presentiments about disinformation, curfews and crackdowns fulfilled - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarBenee: Hey U X review – endearingly careworn
The 20-year-old New Zealander’s charming debut is a patchwork of genre-hopping songs with a fragile edge - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarGillian Welch: Boots No 2: The Lost Songs, Vol 3 review – more riches after the flood
This final instalment of unpublished gems from Welch and David Rawlings doesn’t disappoint - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarAna Roxanne: Because of a Flower review – a magical pop-ambient mirrorworld
The Californian musician seems to ponder the mutability of gender on her second album, which offers a magical out-of-body experience - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarLucia Cadotsch: Speak Low II review – jazz standards dissolved and recast
Cadotsch’s second album continues down an unusual path, combining her spellbinding singing with wayward improv - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarA Bag of Bagatelles: Piano Works by Birtwistle and Beethoven review – authority and clarity
Hodges’s cool virtuosity emphasises the links between two composers of muscular intricacy and resonance - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarPa Salieu: Send Them to Coventry review – on the frontline with the UK's freshest new rapper
Bleak beats soundtrack an album of smart introspection as the rapper ponders his Gambian heritage and ‘wild west’ home - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarAriana Grande: Positions review – saucy but safe
Grande’s sex-fixated sixth album belies its introspective soft centre - Kate Hutchinson
starstarstarstarstarLittle Mix: Confetti review – weirdness meets blue-chip rigour
The former X Factor winners break pop’s rules in some style - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarTunng: Tunng Presents… Dead Club review – a thoughtful meditation on life and loss
The English folk crew turn their attentions to customs of death and grief around the world - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarKylie: Disco review – the ultimate rescue remedy
In these dark days, Kylie steps up and delivers a shimmering stream of dancefloor bangers - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarDutchavelli: Dutch from the 5th review – drill trailblazer gets deep
Over haunting production, the rapper announces himself as a fearsome talent with honest reflections on a chequered past - Jesse Bernard
starstarstarstarstarGwenifer Raymond: Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain review – eerily tangled roots music
Raymond’s accomplished guitar playing, inspired on her second album by her Welsh upbringing, makes for horror-tinged blues full of atmosphere - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarVanitas: Lieder by Schubert, Beethoven and Rihm review – songs in the key of life
Nigl’s controlled, supple voice is aided by Pashchenko’s fierce accompaniment in a thoughtful selection - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarJudith and Dave O'Higgins: His ’n’ Hers review – duelling saxes
The multitalented forensic pathologist teams up with her husband on this tenor sax masterclass - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarGorillaz: Song Machine Season One: Strange Timez review – playful and potent collaboration
Damon Albarn provides the melodic anchor to this pioneering album that balances concept and fun - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarSun Ra Arkestra: Swirling review – out of this world
The Arkestra’s first album in 20 years is an intoxicating, cosmic tribute to Sun Ra - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarBruce Springsteen: Letter to You review – a sledgehammer of succour
(Columbia)An album about fallen comrades sees the E Street Band deliver the distilled elixir of their best stadium-filling form - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarEla Minus: Acts of Rebellion review – techno-pop for dancing, thinking and resisting
Making her debut album alone on analogue machines, Minus has come up with an inspiring manifesto for 2020 - Aimee Cliff
starstarstarstarstarTenderlonious/Jaubi: Ragas from Lahore review – ancient source powers a jazz explorer
Ed Cawthorne blends improv with Indian classical music on this free-flowing collaboration - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarDorian Electra: My Agenda review – frenetic, pummelling protest-pop
The gender-fluid experimentalist crams in styles and guests on this thought-provoking second album - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarDjango Bates/Norrbotten Big Band: Tenacity review – Bird takes flight
A celebration of Charlie Parker and Bates’s own 60th year prompts radical but heartfelt readings of music by both - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarClara Iannotta: Earthing review – compelling new music with bells and whistles on
The Italian composer asks a lot of her musicians, with conventional playing augmented by electronics and found objects, but it never sounds contrived - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarGorillaz: Song Machine Season One: Strange Timez review – the poignant sound of social distancing
Damon Albarn’s cartoon band mark their 20th anniversary with a record whose star guests – Elton John, Robert Smith and St Vincent among them – are folded into a fluent, brilliant whole - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarFuture Islands: As Long As You Are review – intensely moving
A sixth album from the Baltimore synth-pop band finds their music as urgent and impassioned as ever - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarEmmy the Great: April / 月音 review – a quest for belonging
The artist’s lush fourth album, written between New York and Hong Kong, is a stirring exploration of different homes - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarBlack Thought: Streams of Thought Vol 3: Cane & Able review – masterful rhyme
The veteran US rapper is on fire, with invective that meets the present moment - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarLong Time Passing: Kronos Quartet and Friends Celebrate Pete Seeger review – a timely tribute
Aided by well-chosen singers, the string quartet has created a fearless tribute to the godfather of folk protest - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarVenom Prison: Primeval review – potent disgust from Welsh death metallers
Continuing to subvert the politics of a lot of hardcore metal, the band look back to early material, energising it with melodic invention and anger - Harry Sword
starstarstarstarstarLinda Buckley: From Ocean's Floor review – folk to take you from the sea to the stars
The Irish composer combines traditional séan-nos singing with an electronic soundscape, connecting past and future - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarMelanie C: Melanie C review – a genuine statement
The former Spice Girl lands some serious punches on a mature, embracing album with nods to neo-disco and deep house - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarDiana Krall: This Dream of You review – second to none
Tommy LiPuma’s Midas touch emanates from this elegant record, which puts Krall’s extraordinary talent in full view - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarFrazey Ford review – an emotional, imperfect, lyrical balm
The cult Canadian country singer cooks up an exquisite livestreamed set with honeyed funk, buttery vocals and plenty of soul - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarWorking Men's Club review – synthpop of every stripe on outstanding debut LP
The West Yorkshire band take the stark electronics of the post-punk scene and warm them with Detroit techno and Italian house – while addressing Andrew Neil with mischievous one-liners - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarSnowdrops: Volutes review – musical studies from the edge of humanity
Performing on the eerie ondes Martenot alongside strings and piano, Christine Ott takes us deep into the uncanny valley - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarBlackpink: The Album review – brilliance from the world's biggest girl band
The K-pop group unleash an intense 24-minute bombardment of killer hooks and snappy detailing – but it’s a shame the lyrical topics are so narrow - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarI Will Walk With My Love review – gifted soprano finds depth and dancing in folk-classical debut
Paula Murrihy’s debut is a collection of folk-leaning music from Brahms, Debussy and Mahler, plus traditional songs - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarIdles: Ultra Mono review – pummelling riffs and desolate beauty
The Bristol punks return with more precision-tooled muscularity and a hint that they won’t be hidebound by genre - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarDiana Jones: Song to a Refugee review – tender testimony to bruised lives
Jones’s sorrowful vocals bear witness to the dreams and hardships of those crossing the US-Mexico border - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarFleet Foxes: Shore; Sufjan Stevens: The Ascension review – postcards from the edge
Comeback albums from two pioneers of American indie rock chime with the times in very different ways - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarSpaza: Uprize! review – haunting, cogent reflection on Soweto 1976
The Johannesburg-based collective recorded this album as the documentary it accompanies was projected on a wall, creating both testimony and portent - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarNovák: Piano conc, Toman and the Wood Nymph etc review – a composer worth knowing?
‘Vítězslav Novák is worth knowing about and we must play his music,’ says Hrůša, and the later works have a pictorial energy that is vividly realised here - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarRóisín Murphy: Róisín Machine review – still inventing new moves
Pop outsider and lockdown living-room star Murphy distils her disco expertise and musical idiosyncrasies in songs pulsing with dancefloor power - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarAG Cook: Apple review – magical shifts in tone
Abrasive techno and acoustic guitars collide on AG Cook’s second album in a month - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarTim Garland: Refocus review – a classic 60s fusion revisited
The saxophonist takes Stan Getz’s unique collaboration with Eddie Sauter in a bold new direction - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarJohn Coltrane: Giant Steps 60th Anniversary Edition review – more a giant leap in jazz
This celebratory reissue includes outtakes that confirm the original’s brilliance and a sense of a jazz genius in transition - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarAva Max: Heaven & Hell review – turbo-charged 2010s pop joy
Back to the era of prime Gaga and Katy Perry with nailed-on melodies and high-wire vocals - this album is determined to entertain - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarStille Liebe: Lieder by Schumann review – drama with poise and style
Hasselhorn’s rich, dark baritone captures Schumann’s extraordinary extremes of light and darkness and Middleton is a discerning accompanist - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarPJ Harvey: To Bring You My Love (Demos) review – gripping outtakes from 1995
Previously unheard demos from the singer-songwriter’s third album throw her extraordinary lyrics into dramatic relief - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarAnjimile: Giver Taker review – a compelling debut
There are strong echoes of Sufjan Stevens, but this US singer-songwriter’s musings on self-discovery are very much their own - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarRichard and Linda Thompson: Hard Luck Stories 1972–1982 review – a tempestuous tale worth retelling
The highlight of this eight-CD box set is 31 previously unreleased tracks - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarSusanna: Baudelaire & Piano review – a cool breath of Nordic autumn
Clarity, strong melodies and composer Susanna Wallumrød’s luminous voice confound expectations on this meeting of poetry and piano - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarBróna McVittie: The Man in the Mountain review – eerie ambience and visionary space
Mc Vittie’s new album tempers her soft folk in collaborations with electronic duo Isan and trumpeter Arve Henriksen - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarDoves: The Universal Want review – soaring soundtrack to changing lives
The kings of catchy melancholia are back after a decade away – and their tried and tested blueprint has lost none of its magic - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarHannah Georgas: All That Emotion review – magisterial indie-pop for introverts
Georgas’s fourth album, immaculately produced by Aaron Dessner, traverses a personal and sometimes opaque journey - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarDeclan McKenna: Zeros review – pop prodigy is a very 21st-century boy
McKenna’s second album is in thrall to pop’s 1970s glam heroes, but his lyrics ponder today’s struggles, from the climate crisis to social media - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarKelly Lee Owens: Inner Song review – a DJ finds her voice
The musician-producer unleashes her own vocals on this brooding second album - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarAfel Bocoum: Lindé review – captivating desert blues with a twist
The Malian star’s breezy new album is studded with nicely judged guest appearances - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarToni Braxton: Spell My Name review – master of breakups and baby-making
Bolstered by guests Missy Elliott and HER, this is a full-bodied record that exhibits Braxton’s stylistic and vocal range - Kemi Alemoru
starstarstarstarstarBabe, Terror: Horizogon review – hear the dread and hope of lockdown
São Paulo producer Claudio Szynkier was already sadly familiar with self-isolation, and his new record chimes with our disorientating current moment - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarKali Uchis: Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ review – her best is yet to come
In her first fully Spanish release, the LA-based artist offers a suck-it-and-see set with glimmers of promise - Kate Hutchinson
starstarstarstarstarKaty Carr: Providence review – Anglo-Polish ballads of freedom
The Nottingham-born singer returns to her roots, with a more personal edge - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarRaye: Euphoric Sad Songs review – heartbreak should be messier
There’s plenty of romantic devastation in pop songs with friendly beats and buoyant melodies on Rachel Keen’s album, but it’s not distinctive enough - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarDave Brubeck: Lullabies – genial sleepytime jazz
The late veteran’s final album offers 15 gentle takes on old melodies and Brubeck originals - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarAC/DC: Power Up review – the last crank up to 11?
The band’s first album in six years is a riotous hymn to unreconstructed rock, not to mention something of a medical miracle - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarIklan: Album Number 1 review – impressively taut electronica
This collective with connections to Young Fathers and Soho offer up a bold, fat-free debut - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarLittle Mix: Confetti review – still stuck inside the pop factory
(RCA/Columbia)Liberated from Simon Cowell, Britain’s biggest girl band are free to make the music they want. But it sounds strangely familiar… - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarSam Smith: Love Goes review – longing to let loose
The pop titan returns with a post-breakup album that takes risks without quite putting itself out there - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarElvis Costello: Hey Clockface review – worthy of your time
The master craftsman mixes styles and moods to often brilliant effect - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarAriana Grande: Positions review – all-night romps but no climax
The tabloids are frothing about the R&B singer’s ‘steamy’ new direction, but her sixth album blurs into one long slow jam - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarM Huncho and Nafe Smallz: DNA review – dextrous chemistry deflated by familiar lyrical concerns
The UK rappers’ voices fit together as satisfyingly as puzzle pieces but their dynamic is wasted on generic material - Dean Van Nguyen
starstarstarstarstarGirlhood: Girlhood review – breezy, 90s-tinged electropop
The shape-shifting duo who met on a boat channel Moby and the Avalanches on their solid debut - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarBruce Springsteen: Letter to You review – his most Springsteen-esque album
Reunited with the E Street Band, songs about downbound trains and glory days show a scaled-down ambition – but are they also political, emotional and sometimes hugely enjoyable - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarBeabadoobee: Fake It Flowers review – shiny, vulnerable retro pop
The London singer’s debut album, rooted in 90s indie, could do with less polish and more grit - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarAutechre: Sign review – electronic masters soar and fall in negative space
A surprisingly melodic proper album is welcome from the electronic pioneers, but its dystopian soundworld is now in a crowded market - Tayyab Amin
starstarstarstarstarHeadie One: Edna review – Irving Adjei moves forward
The drill king’s debut album could be a breakthrough moment - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarMonteverdi: L'Orfeo review – Toro brings expressive colour but extremes of tempo
The tenor sings the title role and also conducts in this new recording that interest and spark but eccentricities; instrumentalists I Gemelli are very fine - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarSad13: Haunted Painting review – the singular vision of Sadie Depuis
The US multi-instrumentalist stops at nothing on her ambitious yet playful second solo album - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarDeftones: Ohms review – fighting time and tide with undimmed ferocity
The Sacramento band’s ninth album streamlines their experimentalism and adds a hit of 90s nu-metal - Dean Van Nguyen
starstarstarstarstarAlicia Keys: Alicia review – classic and contemporary
Some fine collaborations enliven the soul singer’s most personal set so far - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarToots and the Maytals: Got to Be Tough review – a muscular, uptempo final album
(Trojan Jamaica/BMG)The reggae veteran, who has died aged 77, returned to themes of injustice with brio on a soulful but serious record - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarBach: Goldberg Variations review – Lavish Lang Lang recording suffocates the magic
He is talented, but the mannerisms and slow tempi turn this into a glitzy exercise with too few flashes of understanding - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarThrowing Muses: Sun Racket review – intense as ever
The US indie rockers go back to basics on their atmospheric 10th album - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarHannah Georgas: All That Emotion review – punches wrapped in velvet gloves
Georgas’s biting lyrics and gentle delivery find an ideal foil in producer Aaron Dessner - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarSarah Davachi: Cantus, Descant review – resonant drones on donated organs
Playing pipe organs across five cities, Davachi uses their gothic plumbing to create intimate studies in frequency - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarKaty Perry: Smile review – tireless trouper loses momentum
The US pop queen flits between styles on a fifth album that lacks focus - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarSam Smith: Love Goes review – heartbreak album plays it safe in hard times
Smith attempts to mix despair with euphoria on an album that delivers plenty of gloom but not much glitter - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarD-Block Europe: The Blueprint – Us vs Them review – UK rap stars box themselves in
Against ghostly production, the duo rearrange the same lyrical tropes like fridge magnets – the flashes of wit and energy are too rare - Alexis Petridis
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